Cost of living in Baton Rouge: rent, homes and salary
The cost of living in Baton Rouge comes in 9.2% below the US average: for the Baton Rouge, LA metro area, the BEA regional price parity (RPP) in 2024 is 90.8, with the US at 100, and housing on its own at 74.2.
- Overall prices
- 90.8US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- Rents: 74.2, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Baton Rouge
With the US average set at 100, a regional price parity compares the cost of the same goods and services in one place against that average. The Baton Rouge, LA metro area includes Baton Rouge, and BEA prices that whole area together. Nothing sits further from the US average than utilities, which stand at 71.2, or 28.8% below the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Baton Rouge, LA metro | Louisiana | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 90.8 | 88.2 | −9.2% |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.7 | −6.3% |
| Housing (rents) | 74.2 | 63.1 | −25.8% |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 71.5 | −28.8% |
| Other services | 95.7 | 95.7 | −4.3% |
By metro area and state: regional price parities, 2024. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Regional price parity data
Baton Rouge rents
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) puts the typical asking rent in Baton Rouge at $1,301 a month. It covers rents asked on homes listed right now, and it stands +2.5% from a year ago. In the US, the figure is $1,932. Census puts the median gross rent at $1,081. That measure counts every renting household, not only new leases. One year of asking rent equals 31% of the median household income.
| Rent | Baton Rouge | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,301 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +2.5% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,081 | $1,487 |
| Share of median income for a year of asking rent | 31% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; one-year estimates from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024.
Baton Rouge home prices
In September 2026, the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) put the value of a typical Baton Rouge home at $228,438. It measures the value of a home priced in the middle of the market. That amount is +2.1% compared with a year earlier, while the US figure is $366,157. That equals 4.5 years of median household income, and the US figure is also 4.5.
| Home prices | Baton Rouge | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $228,438 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +2.1% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +31.4% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 14.6 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast and the price chart since 2000 all appear in the Baton Rouge housing market.
Living in Baton Rouge: the salary you need
Two questions set the pay needed in Baton Rouge to match what your pay buys now: the place you live in, and what you earn.
- Moving from
- Salary
See the method and all cities side by side: city cost of living.
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Cost of living in Baton Rouge compared with other cities
| City | Overall prices | Housing | Rent, typical | Home value, typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | 90.8 | 74.2 | $1,301 | $228,438 |
| New Orleans | 92.6 | 86.0 | $1,633 | $241,895 |
| New York City | 112.6 | 148.6 | $4,089 | $825,854 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| Chicago | 103.6 | 112.0 | $2,311 | $334,108 |
| Houston | 98.6 | 104.5 | $1,544 | $259,465 |
| Phoenix | 103.3 | 121.2 | $1,571 | $404,067 |
| Philadelphia | 102.6 | 113.1 | $1,757 | $231,584 |
| San Antonio | 94.7 | 94.6 | $1,381 | $244,623 |
Price levels come from BEA regional price parities, 2024, with the US as the benchmark at 100. Rent comes from Zillow ZORI. Home values: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities ranked: compare cost of living by city. All states: cost of living in each state.